Not only is the Soul the second-best selling Kia after the Optima, it is also the hottest-selling car in an amalgamated segment that includes everything from the boxiest Nissan Cube and Scion xB, to the bubbly Fiat 500 L and the Euro-American Mini Countryman.

Kia calls it an urban hatchback car. Others call it a toaster.

This toaster’s smoking, selling 118,000 units in 2013, marking the best year of the five-year-old Soul despite an impending redesign for 2014.

It’s not just clever marketing that has powered the second-generation Kia Soul into the hearts and driveways of owners. Starting at $14,900, which is anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 less than the base models of the aforementioned competitors, the overall value of the Soul is coupled with a stylish design that makes it neither an oddball nor a budget car.

The Soul is roomy, comfy and fun, fitting four adults with ease and making for a perfect day tripper into or out of the city or to the nearest beach.

The spacious cabin calls for the windows down and the sound system up. Dual USB ports and XM radio complement the quirky but not over-the-top styling, such as the vertical vents topped by circular speakers on the dash, including a 12”inch speaker on the top of the center stack.

The 60/40 fold down seats and storage areas make it easy for couples to hit the road. As newlyweds grow into a family, the low step in and tall roof of the Kia make it easy on the back to move car seats in and out. At booster age, there’s enough room for the tantrummy toddler to really have to reach to kick your seat back.

The Soul begins to wane for a growing family of four; there’s just not enough space in this sized car, no matter how well designed, to road trip. My two grade schoolers and I could barely fit a camping weekend in with some clever packing. For cross-town holiday visits, on the other hand, the day-tripping Soul is perfect.

The redesigned 2014 has gained a bit of space and a nicer interior with soft-touch materials on the dash and doors. The nicest elements, however, are found in the top of the line Kia Soul !

After a week around town and the dunes of Lake Michigan, the Soul ! earns my recommendation despite how much I loathe the egregious use of punctuation marks. It is by far my biggest problem with the Soul !, which I suppose is a good thing. The car speaks for itself, and the exclamation point is as dismissible as an all-caps texter.

The $20,300 starting price (add $795 for delivery) includes a direct injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 164 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, far better than the 1.6-liter base model while maintaining the same fuel economy of 26 mpg combined.

The edgier 18-inch alloy penta-rims make it look a whole lot sharper, too.

Neither the base model nor the Soul ! make the grade for fuel-efficiency, with the Countryman getting 31 mpg and the 500L getting 28 mpg combined, even though the Soul is lighter weight. This is a disappointment, and seems like the only shortcoming preventing the Soul from broader appeal.

The Soul ! comes available with the latest tech, as it should, including XM Radio standard.

My test model came with two packages, Sun & Sound ($2,600) and the Whole Shebang ($2,500).

Getting a Kia Soul without the Sun & Sound package would be like getting a cabana two blocks removed from the beach. The panoramic sunroof and sunshade is worth it by itself, and the 8” screen with navigation is essential for the youthful demographic and tech-addled Xers.

The Whole Shebang adds leather and heated and ventilated everything. The 4.3 inch instrument cluster display between the speedometer and tachometer is nice to have, but if you can access the same info as the 8” screen than it’s extraneous. Seems the two tech elements should go together, and leather and heated would be its own package, but that’s not how the Soul rolls, unfortunately.

The challenge for the Soul, aside from the lagging fuel economy, is the challenge for this segment. This class of cars can get grown out of much more quickly than a midsize or a crossover. Yet they retain a level of personality and distinction, of youthful day-tripping fun, not shared by more conventional segments. Of the bunch, the Soul hits the sweet spot.

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